Part 9 (1/2)

I put my hand to my chin and tapped my cheek. ”Well, I could tell you, but I probably shouldn't. It's really nothing.”

He got a gleam in his eye at my teasing. ”Oh, Chase. You are so going to tell me now,” he said as he came toward me.

I stayed put on my desk and pretended not to feel the b.u.t.terflies that had sprouted in my tummy. ”Oh am I?” I asked.

He reached my desk and stood right in front of me, invading my personal s.p.a.ce. ”Yes, you are.”

Pus.h.i.+ng myself onto my desk so I was sitting on it, I leaned back on my palms. ”Well, you see, Trisha just wanted to ask me something about you.”

His face turned into a scowl. ”What?” he asked.

”Oh, lighten up. I told her you're not available and even if you were, you don't date people who work for you.”

He took a step toward me. ”Good. I mean, don't get me wrong, that girl is hot, but no way.”

I felt a little sting. ”Oh, she's hot, huh?” I asked, trying to come off as teasing.

He grinned. ”Yeah, she is, but there are others here who are hotter.”

My head started spinning. ”Oh, well that's good to know.”

He took another step toward me, now pinning me to my desk. ”Is it? Don't you want to know who I'm thinking of?”

I was dying to and cringing at the same time. While I realized it was very stupid of me to think I had a chance with him, I still didn't want to know who my compet.i.tion was. Knowing he thought Trisha was hot was enough.

”Not really,” I lied.

He drew a finger down the side of my face. ”Now why don't I believe you?” he asked in a hushed tone.

Vibrations went through me at his touch and I s.h.i.+vered. ”I don't know. Not my problem,” I whispered.

He chuckled. ”Well, I'll tell you anyway. That girl in PR is hot. I think her name is Jenny.”

My heart fell. I tried to turn my head away, but his hand caught me. ”That's nice,” I said.

He chuckled again. ”It is, isn't it? Yeah, she's pretty hot. I also think that chick in our graphic design department is hot. What's her name again?”

Lola. The only ”chick” that worked in the graphic design department. ”Lola,” I said with a bite. Again I tried to distance myself from his proximity, but he wouldn't budge.

”Then there's the girl I work with. She's really hot, s.e.xy actually. Her long blonde hair drives me crazy. Like the way she twirls it around her fingers when she's nervous. Though when it's up in a twist, like today, she fidgets with her fingers. Her dusty, olive green eyes make me want to fall to my knees every time she looks at me.” He paused and stared at me for what seemed like a very long time, ”You may know her. Her name is Aly,” he said barely above a whisper as he caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers.

My heart slammed against my chest. Jerking my head up to fully look at him, I stared into his eyes. There was no humor or teasing in them. They were filled with sincerity and if I wasn't mistaken, desire. I struggled to find words.

”Um, what?” I asked, staggered. I was in shock. He had never talked to me this way before, never this direct. His lips curled into a ghost of a smile.

”Yep, and the outfit she's wearing today is going to torture me all day long, showing off all of her curves in every possible way. So, yeah. That's who I think is hot,” he said as he dropped his hand from my face and turned to walk into his office. I sat there staring blankly at the doorway, wondering what the h.e.l.l just happened.

Later that afternoon, Ethan strolled in looking like the cat that ate the canary. ”Ask me if I just scored. Go ahead, ask,” he said as he plopped down in one of the chairs in front of me. I looked up at him, and lifted a brow.

”C'mon, Aly,” he laughed. ”Ask.”

”Okay. Hey, Ethan, did you just score?” I asked in a mocking tone.

He bobbed his head. ”Why, yes. Yes I did. How did you know?”

He ducked when I threw a piece of paper at him. He raised his hands in surrender laughing.

”Okay, okay. You will die when you hear who it is,” he said.

I pretended to ponder this deeply, putting my chin in my hand. ”I just honestly can't think of who the lucky girl is,” I said, giving up.

Ethan raised himself off the chair and leaned over my desk. ”Well, I'll tell you then. It's Trisha, from telemarketing. I was on my way over here when she stopped me and flirted pretty heavily. I've had my eye on her for a while now, so I just asked her out for drinks after work. I'd say that is scoring, don't you?”

I burst out laughing, I couldn't help it. Trisha? This was too good.

He looked at me, puzzled. ”That is not the reaction I was expecting. I was hoping for ma.s.sive jealousy or maybe a congratulations, but laughter? Nope, not what I was expecting.”

I wiped at my eyes as I tried to calm down, but each time I looked at him, I burst out laughing again. When I could see he was getting annoyed, I took a few deep breaths and got myself under control.

”I'm sorry, I am. I am happy for you and I do think it's great, but you have no idea what happened with Trisha here this morning. That's why I'm laughing.”

He raised his brows, not saying anything. When he motioned for me to continue, I suppressed another urge to laugh.

”Well this morning on my way in here, she stopped me and asked if she could talk to me in private for a minute. We came in here and she just came out and asked me if Paul is taken.”

I could tell that surprised him, but he still didn't say much. ”Go on,” he told me.

”Well, I told her that yes he was, but even if he wasn't, he would never date somebody who works for him. She felt stupid and apologized then left. So yeah, when you said it was her, it caught me off guard and I laughed. Sorry.”

Ethan gave me a look. ”So are you suggesting I'm second best?”

His seriousness caught me by surprise. ”Not at all,” I said. ”I'm just telling you what happened. I like Trisha and think you guys will have a good time together. I shouldn't have said anything about this morning.” I lowered my gaze as the heat of his stare was making me uncomfortable.

”Are you sure that's it? Because, for some reason, I think it bothers you a little that Trisha and I are going out for drinks.”

My head flew up at that. ”Excuse me? Why in the world would you think that?”

”Well not only does she ask you if the man you've secretly loved for three years is available, but then she goes after your best friend. That's got to annoy you just a bit,” he said in a tone he'd never used with me before.

”Ethan, no. That's not it at all. And keep your voice down. I have no issue with you and Trisha going out and if Paul were interested in her, maybe he would ask her out. But he's with Casey, so it's a moot point. As far as you are concerned, you're my best friend and I of course want you to be happy.”

He sighed and sat back in his chair. ”You're right, I'm sorry. I guess I was just las.h.i.+ng out at you after what you told me. It did hit the ego a bit, knowing she'd asked about Paul first, but I'm still going to go out with her.”

I felt relief rush through me. ”Good, you should. Don't let what I said stop you. It's been a while since you've taken a lady for drinks, I hope you have a great time.”

”Thanks, Aly. Sorry I got weird there. You know you're my favorite girl, right?”

Grateful the old Ethan returned, I gave him a big smile. ”Of course. I'm always here for you, Baker.”

”And you'll listen to all of my gory details later?” he asked, raising a brow.